Margaret Island, Budapest

It is a 2,5 kms long island in the middle of the Danube in central Budapest, between the two city parts, Buda and Pest, beetwen Margit Bridge, designed by French engineer Ernest Gouin and built in 1872-76 by the Societe des Bettignoles company of France. Some sculptures on the bridge were designed by the French architect Eiffel, and Arpad Bridge. It is the favorite place of sport lovers, especially of runners due to the excellent rubber-coated jogging track. Besides, the island also houses various sports establishments, like the Palatinus water park (the largest open-air swimming complex in Budapest), the Alfréd Hajós sports pool (where the European LC Championships 2006 was held), a tennis stadium and an athletics centre. There are numerous rare, valuable and protected plants, trees, rose gardens, real pleasures for the eyes. The major landmarks are, among others, the Centennial Memorial (commemorating the hundredth anniversary of the city's unification), a small Japanese Garden with a mildly thermal fish pond, a tiny zoo featuring a wide range of exotic waterfowl among other animals, a fountain with background music (for example Strauss) and light show in summer, the Musical Fountain (in fact, a tower built for open-air concerts, renovated in 1936), and an octagonal Water Tower of 57 m (built in Art Nouveau style in 1911, today functioning as a lookout tower and an exhibition hall), of which the latter two were declared protected by UNESCO. The island used to be called Rabbit Island (Nyulak szigete), and it received its current name after Saint Margaret (1242-1270), the daughter of the king Bela the 4th of Hungary. The island was dominated by nunneries, churches and cloisters until the 18th century, when it was chosen to be the resort of palatines. It was declared a public garden in 1908. There is a small chapel built in Historical style on the place of the former Premonstratensian monastery. The entry by cars is limited to special cases; taxis and a single bus line. On the northern end of the island a car park houses the cars of hotel guests. If you want to dance and have a good time, try Holdudvar, the favorite place of local young people and tourists. The best parties are Fridays and Saturdays.